Keeping seasoned educators: Provide them with the necessary support they deserve
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In a new review of 23 longitudinal studies, the Learning Policy Institute and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute have highlighted the importance of creating the right professional environment and providing ongoing support to retain teachers long-term, especially in high-need schools.
The research review found that teachers generally improve significantly during their first five years, with continued, albeit slower, improvement well into years 6 through 15. This continued growth happens in environments with collaborative colleagues, supportive administrators, stable classroom assignments, and ongoing professional development opportunities.
The review emphasizes that teachers do not plateau after five years; growth continues into the second decade of teaching. Supporting teachers with collaboration, administrative support, and stability is crucial for sustained growth.
Retaining experienced teachers is critical for accelerating student learning, especially for vulnerable students, as they bring invaluable instructional expertise. Policymakers should invest in high-quality teacher preparation and mentoring programs, particularly in high-need schools.
Schools with strong leadership, collaboration opportunities, and a culture of professional trust see greater gains in teacher retention over time. These gains translate into measurable benefits for students, such as higher test scores, fewer disciplinary issues, reduced absenteeism, and increased postsecondary attainment.
Teachers who feel supported by their administrators, who collaborate with a team that shares their mission, and who have consistent teaching assignments are far more likely to stay in the profession. In North Carolina, students with highly experienced English teachers learned more and were substantially less likely to skip school and more likely to enjoy reading.
The article, produced by our nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education, emphasizes the importance of teacher retention, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, and the need to retool policies to reflect the research on teacher effectiveness and retention.
The authors of the article, Linda Darling-Hammond from the Learning Policy Institute and Michael J. Petrilli from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and the Hoover Institution, stress the importance of moving beyond "one-and-done" professional development to ongoing, research-aligned, quality professional learning that builds teacher capacity over time. Such continual professional growth, along with efforts to improve teachers’ content mastery and provide high-quality instructional materials, appears important for both teacher growth and retention.
In summary, key factors are supportive professional environments, collaborative culture, stable teaching assignments, and sustained, high-quality professional learning that aligns with instructional materials and standards. These findings underscore the need to shift policies and practices from viewing veteran teachers as replaceable to recognizing and nurturing them as irreplaceable assets to student success.
[1] Darling-Hammond, L., & Petrilli, M. J. (2021). The Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M): Lessons for the United States. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute.
[2] Darling-Hammond, L., & Hyler, M. E. (2017). Professional learning in the learning profession: A framework for high-quality teacher development. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
[3] Darling-Hammond, L., Wei, R. C., Andree, S., Richardson, D., & Orphanos, S. (2009). Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.
[4] Petrilli, M. J., & Cronin, J. B. (2010). The teacher quality debate: What we can learn from the research. Washington, DC: Thomas B. Fordham Institute.
- The importance of creating a supportive professional environment and providing ongoing professional development opportunities is crucial for retaining teachers long-term, especially in high-need schools, as it enhances the teachers' growth and development, leading to a reduction in teacher turnover.
- The continued growth of teachers beyond the first five years is facilitated through collaboration, administrative support, stability, and quality professional learning that aligns with instructional materials and standards, contributing to the development of skills, career, and self in education.
- Policymakers should prioritize education policy reforms that focus on high-quality teacher preparation programs, mentorship, and education-and-self-development, aiming to build teacher capacity and cultivate a culture of innovation in education.
- To ensure sustainable growth and development in student learning, it's essential to invest in a collaborative learning environment that promotes learning, skill-training, and career-development for both teachers and students.
